Porous Five Hole

If you can’t beat them, beat them up?

Not expecting it, but how about some puck luck and we get a couple. Something good is bound to happen at some point!

Looking at his overall play lately and not just this first period, there’s no doubt Dahlin is trying to do too much and pressing. It appears it is making him even more boneheaded than usual.

I’ll have to watch it again, but I felt like he tried to take away the play of the odd man rush by peeling off. It almost worked. The trailer was the one who scored, and that was JJP’s man. He didn’t even try. He appeared to be in a glide and did not play the stick or the body. It was infuriating.

Jeeeeez Byram was in no man’s land and NAK was asleep as the help. I know the Knights are good, but this is embarrassing.

It was unconventional, but it kind of worked. He slowed the puck carrier down by peeling off his man and stepping up. That goal is 100% on JJP.

Peterka should be stapled to the bench for basically not trying

I want to be good asap. Gimme Petts with Byram and Cozens versus the concept of Misa & Petts in 2027-28.

IF Vancouver would bite on the concept, I would do it. Why hold the 2025 pick and hope you get an elite guy in 2-3 years time…when that pick can be used to acquire Pettersson, a guy you *hope* said 2025 pick would turn into one day…and you get the player right now. See if you can grab some advanced stat graphs from Petts 22-23 and 23-24 seasons. The guy is elite. It’s a unique situation. Vancouver would have to decide 1) Miller & Pettersson will be problematic for the locker room forever, 2) Miller’s no trade protection gets them pennies on the dollar for JT in a trade, and 3) the Canuck’s need to move Petts before his NMC kicks in for max value. The Sabres are one of a few teams who can absorb Petts AAV and they will have ammo to make a deal.

Helenius assists on all four goals, including the OT PP winner. Finland wins and will be waiting for the winner of our game tonight. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Third period push by Sweden. Shots are 12-1 Swedes and they tie the game on a leaky goal. 3-3 with 8 min to go.

Helenius three assists as the Fins lead the Swedes 3-2 with 13 minutes to go in the third.

The world juniors can be found on the NHL Network 📺

Good call on if we had to choose. If we had to, I agree with you & would also ride or die with Byram. It doesn’t hurt that Power would probably bring more back in a trade…the league averages about nine defensemen who can eclipse 60 points annually, and he projects to be one of them. Plus we already have one of those guys in Dahlin.

Power isn’t a pylon. He moves well for a big guy. He is not good defensively today, but he’s also 22 and on a bad team. Struggling defensively as his age isn’t uncommon even for his draft position. And let’s not forget his GM has done him no favors in the form of a veteran partner worth a damn. He has all the tools to be elite offensively. He can improve in front of the net. Actually I expect it. I am as frustrated as everyone else at this craptacular season, but I’m not moving Power (or Byram).

It slightly depends on Byram’s long term AAV, but I think they can afford both. And I don’t think you NEED to move on from one because of handedness. The team improvement you’re referencing is having three elite players on the blue line in their prime. To expect it from a 22 year old Power and 23 year old Byram today is misguided. I do not expect GMKA to fold his hand and trade out either of these pieces. And I wouldn’t either. Plenty of other deck chairs to throw overboard for a shakeup. I would be much more concerned about Dylan Cozens being a $7MM earner & a 45 pt player.

I know conventional wisdom is to not trade the pick. But I’m getting the top five pick back fully formed. That’s my angle. No more development. A top 5 pick, our boy Quinn, Krebs or Muel, a first round prospect, and millions in cap flexibility. I don’t think it is an automatic no. I will concede Vancouver only does this if they absolutely have to split up Miller & Pettersson. I’m working under that premise.

Check out my Pettersson posts from this morning. I’m doing what you’re suggesting.

I understand your angle, but the trade deadline is March 7th and the season ends five weeks later. You go out and get what you can get for UFA’s. I understand you don’t want any inexpensive lottery tickets back, but I think nothing versus something is smart asset management. I also would take Tage from the list of available guys. To me, he’s too dynamic to cast off. His 47 goal season wasn’t that long ago.

One note, Henri is an UFA at the end of this season. All of this is impossible without knowing A) the return, and B) who is a problem regarding effort/attitude. I am not interested in selling low like we did with Reino. I am not interested in prospects for NHL players. I am not interested in trading from the youngest team in the league. I’m interested in adding to it. But to answer your question, I offer 1-2 year extensions to Zucker and Greenway. If they decline, I move them at the deadline. Anyone else who is a pending UFA is available.

I started a thread saying that Lindy lost his fastball and I was overwhelmingly returned with a response of, “it’s the same players, so why expect it to be different with a different coach?” Between this thread restart and the Aves GDT, it sounds like more folks are coming around? Is Lindy cooked? Maybe it is as simple as Lindy had to adopt the old assistants plus Appert and not his own…and I’ve got time for that. This organization is a mess. But no individual player performance or meaningful team metric (or you know, POINTS AND WINS) is objectively better under Ruff. BTW, Meatballs 91 & 84 pts. Ruff trending for 69. And KA’s only public response was defensive and smug. 🌴🌴🌴 So much overhaul needed in so many places. Maybe it isn’t Lindy’s fault after all.

I hear you, but byes weren’t going to save Boise St or Arizona St. They were outclassed. The other two teams, I very much agree with you.

[Friedman on Fan590] "Everybody knows Vancouver is open to listening, that they have already (both players)...but I think their preference is: 'grow up and figure it out.' What's different now than weeks ago, is this has begun to spill over elsewhere into the Org. It's bothering Tocchet and Hughes" C’mon Kevyn, be bold. Save us!

I think you’re underselling him by a lot. His first two years at age 20 & 21 were 66 points each (rookie 71 games played , second year 68 games played). He’s producing 75 pts in his sleep. He’s closer to 100 than he is 75. He is elite. I’m not saying he’s actually available, but if he is…him and Dahlin are probably tight (same age and same junior teams). Hopefully Dahls could help recruit him. Time to overpay. It is going to hurt a little, but it helps that we suck so bad this season. I would include this year’s first round pick unprotected (likely top five pick), Krebs (to return a Center), an NHL player like Quinn or Muel, and an Amerk of their choice (not Helenius if possible, but anyone else…Östlund, Rosen, Wallberg, RyJo are all on the table). Three or four high-end assets for one is a haul, but Pettersson is a fully developed 26 year old C1 signed through his prime. And, perhaps it doesn’t cost this much because the Sabres are one of the only teams that can take on his salary. So maybe you can make the pick top three protected or maybe you can keep Quinn around. Getting Elias out of a Canadian market might be just what the doctor ordered. A lot of folks don’t want Adams pulling the trigger on stuff like this because they’re expecting he will be fired, but he needs to go big to save his job and save this team.

Yes he is. 102 points in 22-23, 89 points last year. Banged up this year. He’s 26. He’s a franchise player.